The Missing Ingredient in our Fight Against Sin #2

Opening

Last week we began a mini-series of lessons to help us overcome sin. It builds on the foundational element of being obedient to Biblical Principles

Review

1. The FOCUSof Your battle against sin has to be a Deeper Relationship with Christ ~ not just Dispensing Biblical PRINCIPLES

Titus 2:11-14For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

• Titus 2:11-14 takes a simple COMMAND to say ‘No’ - and surrounds it with JESUS CHRIST.
  1. You Need to Help OthersTASTEthe Goodness of God in Christ so that They’re RUINEDfor Anything Else
  2. Without a Passion for Christ Sin will just Lay Low & thenMORPHinto Another AREAof Their Life

This Week’s Lesson

1. So HOWDo You Keep the Focus on Christ in Your Life?

Stir up Three Areas in Your Thinking

1. Learn to Stop Living for theMOMENT& Start Living with a Sense of Hopeful EXPECTATIONabout Eternity with Their Savior

Titus 2:13“Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

• The second coming of Christ is mentioned 318 x in the Bible!
• Because God knows we’re suffering… and discouraged… and fighting sin!
• So He has a PRESCRIPTION for fighting sin that is BIGGER than just saying ‘No.’…
• God knows we need to get our eyes off of the PRESENT and fixed on the FUTURE.

• Most of us have landed where they did by MAJORING on the momentary and IGNORING the momentous… and we’ve got to change that. Titus 2:11-14 helps us get there.

• Our problem is the polar opposite here in America today. We give so little THOUGHT to the future… and we’re living on such a LOW level… trying to squeeze every drop of SATISFACTION out of this life right now. That’s what causes us to stumble into sin so easily.
• The Bible teaches us to look up while we’re fighting sin! You need to develop a healthyOBSESSION for theNEXTlife.
• To the degree that this is lacking your’re going to STRUGGLE in your fight against sin.
• Connect theCHANGEProcess to the Work that Christ has already ACCOMPLISHEDon the Cross

Titus 2:14 “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed…”

• Live life with both hands! Point to sin with one hand… but always keeping pointing to the SAVIORand His work on the CROSSwith the other.

1. Keep REMINDINGYourself of Who You are in Christ

People tend to become are spiritual amnesiacs… whatever your’re struggling with is causing you to search for an answer to that problem… you’ve forgotten who you are in Christ. Sin will do that to you!

So be reminded…

Titus 2:14 “… and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”

I Peter 2:9-11 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim that praises of Him who called out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you are sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.”

• A large part of living a sin free life should be spent remembering:
  • who YOUare…
  • who CHRISTis…
  • and what He’s DONE.

2 Peter 1:12 “Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know them…”

2 Peter 1:13 “Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you.”

2 Peter 1:15 “Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things…”

Check-List

Stirring a Passion for Christ rather than just Dispensing Biblical Principles

The following are a number of questions that can be used to promote discussion

1. Am I talking / thinking about Christ as much as I am sin?
2. Am I just using ‘Single Bullet’ verses… addressing the sin… and the way out… or am I sharing larger portions of Scripture that put a solid doctrinal foundation under my feet of redemption and hope in the Savior?
3. Am I regularly lifting the my sights to the future… stirring up hope about the Savior… or am I focused largely on the immediate problem?
4. Do I effectively weave the redemptive work of Christ on the cross into thought process… and am I celebrating Christ’s power and freedom over sin… or am I just pressing and contemplating to ‘Quit my sinnin’!’
5. Is your quite time / personal time with God allowing me enough opportunities to ‘taste and see that He is good’? (Psalm 34:8)
6. Am I quick to make a bee-line from my sin to the cross? Do I keep thinking about redemption and a Redeemer even as the brokenness and ugliness of sin keep spilling out as I search my soul?
7. Do I approach each day with the mind-set of growing a Christ-follower… or do just think about fixing a problem?
8. Am I making the person and glory of Christ attractive by my words and attitude – a broken sinner moving towards the Savior – or do I look at my situation more like a business transaction… sticking biblical principle ‘band-aids’ onto sin spots?
9. Have my I maintained a hopeful future expectation (based on the person and promises of Christ) or do I mostly wallow in the drudgery of the immediate mess?
10. Is my own life right now reflecting the celebratory worship of a Christ-follower or do I just come across as the Bible ‘Answer Man’?